Time Grants Union
by natalee moon
Summary: The Doctor visits a strange shrinking planet called Dalfow-B and unravels a mystery that leads him unexpectedly to Rose.


The Doctor was 1200 years old when he travelled to Dalfow-B. It was a remote, transcendental area of space rarely visited. He traveled alone. There had been no message on psychic paper. No collapsing nebula or funny little tick in time itching at his brain until he investigated. He would not normally travel to the B cluster of the Dalfow region as transcendental beings and time lords rarely crossed paths and had little in common. Two types of beings that could see all that is, was and ever will be, but across rather different angles and dimensions had little to converse about of interest. What was there really left to say?

However, something entirely new had lead him here. Something the TARDIS had not done since ancient times and never like this. His ship was singing. It was a terrible song. More than sadness shrieking out of it. He let it travel as far as it wanted to, following that music. Whatever was causing it was very, very wrong.

He wondered how many more times he would do this. He could see the possibilities but the inevitable was still a mystery. It still felt long and he was tired. When had he become so tired?

He supposed loss took its toll. It had too. So much of it, stretched across his life. It had been 240 years since Rose had died. He hadn't thought he would feel her death, with so much impossible distance between them. He had grown rather clever at avoiding the sensation over the years and the TARDIS often took pity on him and helped block it out when friends and loved ones passed on. But his old ship had instead been struck by her death, the sensation vibrating through them both and the pain had been that much worse. He ought to have guessed that would happen. Rose had once looked into the heart of the TARDIS. They were connected in ways he could not fathom.

It had been almost exactly 100 years since River. 250 since Donna. 257 since Martha. He didn't want to know it so exactly. He didn't want numbers to come so easily against emotions. Another curse of what he was. They were years of mourning and they lasted so much longer than the years of happiness and travel did. But numbers could not know the heart of things, the worth. Only he could.

And so he reminded himself to be steady and look forward. To remember that no Time Lord had stepped a toe on Dalfow-B in nearly a thousand years. Time sentient creatures meeting up held all kinds of enrapturing danger and possibilities and the best part was, crossed timelines meant he couldn't properly read any of the outcomes. He couldn't guess what would happen next with even a little bit of insight. The taste of that was especially precious, for it happened so rarely.

He focused on comforting the TARDIS and gave her free reign to sing and sigh and shift through the universe towards the place she wanted to go.

When the TARDIS came to rest on the planets surface the music faded and changed. There was a synchronistic, echoing throb resonating through the coral that disturbed the Doctor much more than the singing had. It felt. Instead of sounding like something, it felt like something. It felt like…separation. It reminded him immediately of his own separations and he felt genuine reluctance at opening the TARDIS door.

Still he opened it and stepped out. The feeling dissipated without the TARDIS interior collecting it like an echo. The planet was a good deal smaller than he remembered. He could see where it curved round not ten yards away and found himself rather amused by it. Had it shrunk? He felt like the Little Prince.

"What is this B612?" he chuckled to no one in particular, pulling out the sonic screwdriver and raising an eyebrow at discovering three miniature volcanoes on the planets surface.

"Wierrrrrd," he muttered.

He headed over the horizon wondering for one mad moment if he would find a single rose growing out of the dusty, lifeless ground. Instead he found a rather dotty looking old couple in rather twentieth century earth-looking travel clothes (fedora and all). There ship was nearby, capsule shaped and as narrow as the exterior of the TARDIS. They knelt, bent over something he could not see with tools he could not immediately place to one particular alien culture. They both had gray hair and looked human for all intents and purposes. But the sonic screwdriver had not read them as strictly human.

The man looked up and reminded the Doctor very much of Donna's grandfather. He gave a start and nudged the woman, "Dottie, look! Look! Someone's arrived!"

Dottie looked over and her kindly, wrinkled face broke into a smile. They were both up instantly, dusting themselves off and walking towards him.

"Hello Sir!" the man offered his hand, pulling off a glove, "Herbert Klakshanimebitalasha, at your service. This is my wife and partner Dottie."

The Doctor shook his hand, "Judging by that name you are...eighty-first century humans?"

Herbert laughed in delight, "Part human, yes. Bit of Oola in my blood."

He winked at this and considering what Oola genetics did to human DNA, the Doctor reflected the wink was rather naughty. Captain Jack would have appreciated it.

"I'm the Doctor," he offered, "Lovely to meet you both."

"Are you surveying as well?" Herbert asked.

"Not much to see is there?" Dottie jested, "You should have seen this planet when we arrived - even smaller than it is now!"

"Even smaller?" the Doctor rejoined.

"Yes," Dottie replied eagerly, "This entire cluster is curious. Since we've begun out survey all the planets in this cluster have grown smaller, denser. Two have vanished."

"That's quite enough Dottie, you haven't even let the man explain what he's doing here yet," Herbert cut in shooting her a warning look.

The Doctor offered his best smile, "Bit of an explorer myself actually. Haven't been out this way in oooooo...a while."

"And where is your companion?" Dottie asked as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Companion?" he asked with a frown.

"Of course," Dottie replied, "You can't be traveling alone. Who are you traveling with?"

The Doctor noted how very firm that concept was in Dottie's mind. Herbert looked on expectantly as well. Interesting that.

And just what were human, Oola blooded or not, doing this far out in the universe? The TARDIS was singing out loss and separation and this couple couldn't fathom anyone being alone. Meanwhile the planets were getting smaller. Wasn't this just a cunning little puzzle?

"I..." he dragged out the syllable, "I travel with my ship!" He pointed to the TARDIS visiable over his shoulder, "Bit of a special ship she is. We share a....a connection of sorts."

Dottie smiled wide, "Of course you do! How lovely."

Herbert rolled his eyes behind her back and raised his eyebrows at the Doctor who shrugged.

"Was it your ship that wanted to come here then?" Dottie asked. It was the voice of a grandmother offering cookies. The Doctor still looked startled by this insight.

"Yes, actually. Yes she did."

Dottie nodded, "We felt a draw to this place as well. Old legends say you can only visit these planets if they call for you."

"Do they now?" the Doctor smiled.

"You smile at me young man, but it's true. I'm an old woman, I know better."

The Doctor coached his face back to serious, "What are you working on there then?"

"Oh, it's quite interesting," Herbert said, ushering him closer, "These stone seeds we've discovered in the planets dust. When they're split they release the most incredible energy burst and planet literally expands."

The Doctor frowned and leaned down to see one.

"They're not easy to find," Dottie explained, "We're only able to find them together, never on our own."

"Is that so?" the Doctor said, gently reaching his hand towards the shell. It did indeed appear to be stone. It was palm size with fine lines just imperfect enough to look like nature. Dottie gently placed it in his hand though Herbert made a sound of protest.

The Doctor stared at it in fascination. It was heavier than he expected.

"Mind if I scan it with this?" he asked, pulling out the sonic screwdriver.

"What is that?" Herbert asked in alarm.

"Just a screwdriver."

"How exactly does a screwdriver conduct a scan?"

"Welllll, it's sonic."

Herbert looked to Dottie in puzzlement, "Is that really an explanation?"

Dottie shrugged.

"So many little tiny things came together to make this," the Doctor murmured, "Oooo and so many not so little things."

He looked up at the couple again, "Why are you splitting these apart again?"

"To see how they're made of course," Herbert replied, "Everything here is drawn together, closer and closer, more and more dense. Why?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps that's just how it's meant to be."

He faced Herbert, "How did you say you ended up here again?"

Dottie gently took back the seed and Herbert visibly relaxed, "We were following a pattern across the stars," he said, "Elements, essences, inexplicably drawn together, their density increasing, mass on mass and all drawn towards this part of space."

He stopped and the Doctor tried to wait patiently. He failed.

"And? And? Then what?"

Herbert smiled but scratched his head, "We had worked out quite the formula in the ships computer, led us here. Then we crashed, somehow. Neither of us can remember how. Ships been touch and go. We've been waiting on the engine to charge up again and spent our time looking around and studying."

"Met anyone else?" the Doctor asked, glancing around, studying their ship again.

"Should we have?" Herbert asked.

"Wellll, round these parts you never know. Bit dodgy really seeing them at all."

He was tugging on his ear and dragging out his syllables like an old incarnation he realized. Had that ever happened before? Would he be craving gummie candies next? Or fishing that abominable scarf out of the TARDIS wardrobe (was it even still there? it must be).

"Would you like to see it Doctor?" Dottie asked warmly.

"See what?"

"The splitting of these seeds? It's incredible."

The Doctor didn't answer but Dottie didn't wait for him. Herbert took one side and she took the other and they simply split it as though it weren't heavy, dense and solid stone. It split easily and the Doctor belatedly realized they only accomplished it together. Neither one could break it alone.

But that realization came after a deafening sensation of pain. It rippled through all this senses, taste, touch, time. _Too soon._ It was horrible.

Then a gaseous cloud, like a tiny galaxy emerged and throbbed for one beautiful moment before expanding so rapidly their eyes could not follow. With a rumble the planet expanded in size and there appeared to be several more stars populating the sky.

The TARDIS cried out so that he shuddered and had to answer with his mind for the first time in centuries, soothing her in her distress.

He had dropped to his knees as Dottie and Herbert looked on with concern.

"Are you alright Doctor?" Herbert asked.

"What was that?" the Doctor muttered to himself, then straightened, "Right then, let's see this ship of yours shall we? I'm a bit of a mechanic. Perhaps I can help get it started."

"Oh it just needs to recharge," Dottie said, hurrying after him, "Nevermind it now."

"I don't think you should stay," the Doctor informed them.

"Is it dangerous?" Herbert asked, struggling to keep up with the Doctor's long legs as he crossed the now longer distance to their capsule.

"Not for you, but for this planet, I think yes it is."

"But, what do you mean?" Dottie asked, her voice coloured by distress.

"I mean, you are hurting this planet. It's not meant to get bigger, it's meant to get smaller."

"But why?"

"I haven't worked that out yet!" the Doctor replied, "But I plan to."

He had arrived at their ship now and scanned it thoroughly with the screwdriver.

"What do you mean we're hurting the planet?" Dottie asked.

"Nevermind him love, he doesn't know what he's talking about."

"But what if he does Herbert? I can't bear the thought that our curiosity is causing anyone pain. That's not what we came here for!"

"Hang on," the Doctor said, "This isn't a ship. It's a transport pod. It...." he turned to face them, "It was only designed for a one way trip."

Herbert sighed, "We haven't worked out why yet. We can't seem to remember."

The Doctor frowned. What was he missing?

Dottie was staring down at the fragments of shell in her hands, her eyes filled with tears, "They looked stone but what if they were alive. What if we've killed them?"

The Doctor watched her sorrow with interest and a funny little idea popped into his brain. It was delightful solving all this without any time sight. Was this how it felt to solve a problem as a human? How exciting! He made a note to try it again in the future. Right after he tried out this funny little idea and solved this mystery. And soothed the TARDIS. And possibly stopped for ice cream on that planet that looked like a snow cone. He hadn't been there since visiting with Rose.

"Dottie," he asked, trying to banish an image of Rose grinning at him over an ice cream and the feelings it brought with it, "Have you ever tried to put one back together?"

Dottie looked amazed, "No Doctor, we haven't."

Herbert scowled, "Why should we do that? What good would that do?"

"Oi!" the Doctor exclaimed, "You lot are scientists aren't you? You ought to wonder about it!"

Dottie approached Herbert slowly, "Shall we try?"

Herbert looked ready to refuse but Dottie pressed, "What if it's the right thing to do? What if we can repair the damage we may have done?"

"There's no proof of damage Dottie. None at all."

The Doctor made a noise in his throat, "Actually, there is. My ship."

"Your ship?" Dottie asked.

"Yes, she flew me all the way across the universe because she felt it, when you split those. She sings you see. She's a living thing. She sang out in pain and I followed that here to see what was the matter."

Dottie stepped closer to Herbert, her face pinched with regret, "Herbert, we must try. Come now, you take this piece and let's press them towards each other. That's it."

They brought their hands together and the most incredible sensation filled the air. The Doctor nearly dropped to his knees. It was like coming home to every family he'd ever known, on Gallifrey, on Earth, in the TARDIS. Every precious first moment in a hug where he could not get close enough. Every intimacy. Then a great sigh, drawn in and the stars came inward. The planet shook and grew smaller, denser. Where was it all leading?

Dottie and Herbert stared at their hands in wonder.

"We did it..." Herbert breathed, "What does that mean?"

As if to answer him the atmosphere around the tiny planet began to shift unnaturally. There was a sound and a sensation of things drawing inward. The stars began to look closer.

Dottie looked at the sky in awe, "Herbert..."

From the soil and into the air lifted the shard of every seed they had split rose up and gradually the most incredible swirls of gas, the light of stars, the hint of entire worlds, all rushing back closer and closer until only that silent, stony seed was left. And from the TARDIS came the most beautiful sound. His ship was pleased by this. There was no malice in whatever this was, only pleasure.

The Doctor's eyebrows raised, "That....I haven't seen before."

Herbert looked distinctly unsettled.

The Doctor watched the shifting for a long moment. He tasted the air. Then he turned toward their crashed capsule, "I wonder what you landed on when you crashed..."

Now Herbert began to look truly upset.

The Doctor strode towards it and crouched down, scanning the surface with the sonic screwdriver.

"Doctor, now that is quite alright. We've made a thorough investigation already," Herbert informed him, hurrying over.

"Let him be Herbert, maybe he can help us remember what happened!"

"Perhaps we ought not to remember just yet Dottie," Herbert blurted out, "Perhaps it isn't time yet!"

The Doctor looked at him quizzically. But he already knew what the ship had landed on. Herbert did too it seemed. As the ship began to shift with the planets now smaller diameter, Herbert took off in a run shouting, "I'm not going! I'm not ready yet!"

"Herbert!" Dottie cried after him.

The Doctor watched him and scratched his head, "Where does he think he's going? I mean how far can he really _go_?"

And indeed, he arrived shortly back to them, panting and bent over as though he run farther than a few feet. The Doctor gave him the courtesy of blaming some of it on the gravity.

"I won't go Dottie," Herbert informed her, "I'm not ready!"

"Herbert, what on earth are you talking about?" Dottie admonished then she studied his face intently, "Herbert...all this time, have you known? Have you kept it from me? Do you remember?"

"It was happening too fast," Herbert complained, "I wasn't prepared."

The ship had lifted now and was growing smaller, denser but no one noticed except the Doctor. Beneath it was the largest seed of all and he finally began to see how it was all connected.

So did Dottie. The moment her eyes landed upon that seed.

"Herbert, you silly thing."

She walked at an unhurried pace towards him and gently touched his face, "We came all this way, together. This is where it was leading. This is where we wanted to go."

"We crashed," he replied and the Doctor knew he had been forgotten, "And it began to come undone. I was frightened. I wasn't ready anymore."

Dottie smiled at him, her face filled with love, "Don't you remember what you said to me when you first found this place?"

Herbert sighed, pain and pleasure in the sound.

"You said 'Dottie, the moment I met you, I was ready for this.'" Dottie told him warmly.

Their capsule had vanished now and the Doctor threw an anxious glance towards the TARDIS. She was just where he'd left her and there was a glow of pleasure emanating from her that was a little unnerving. Had his ship ever been this happy? Why hadn't he noticed that before?

He turned back to see Dottie and Herbert bring those last great pieces together. They'd followed this pattern all the way here to finish their days in this incredible union. They vanished in a beautiful burst of light. The planet contracted again and the TARDIS was right behind him. He wonder how much smaller it had to get before it accomplished was it was going for. What happened after that?

The light kept on and did not dissipate, ebbing and undulating until a shape formed out of it, barely a silhouette with the ghost of a face.

"Hello," the Doctor greeted it amiably, "What exactly are you?"

The face shifted to a pleased expression and a silvery voice answered like a song, "You ask yet you already see the answer."

"I suppose I do," the Doctor replied, "But what happens? Smaller and smaller? What do you become next?"

"The pattern is manifold. Union sounds in all things and choice draws them here, closer and closer, as close as they can ever be until only love remains and from it entire galaxies are born."

The Doctor stared at her, "Entire galaxies?"

The voice replied, "Of course," then "Thank you, Doctor."

The Doctor smiled back, "Who me? I didn't do anything."

"You travelled all this way," the voice replied, "To this place which must be strange for you. You are alive with time but it is not the same for you. We cannot see ourselves clearly when we are near to one another."

The Doctor nodded, "No we cannot. Transcendentals....good to know you're still around though."

"And you are not," the voice replied sadly, "So lonely and yet you followed your ship's song and helped this union. They had forgotten. They had undone what they came for. You helped with no thought of gain."

"The act and the gain are one and the same," the Doctor replied gently, "That's what makes them so marvelous."

The face in the light smiled, "You understand union."

Then it shifted, coming closer, "We would...offer a gesture in return."

The Doctor frowned, "No no--"

The light shimmered, struggling, "The way is closed back to what you have lost. How sorry we are..."

"Even love cannot open it," the Doctor replied sadly, "Not yet anyway."

"So many paths closed to you that were precious. Is there nothing..." the voice stopped, the face looking past him to the TARDIS.

"The heart of your ship," it breathed.

The Doctor's eyebrows raised, "What about it?"

The light bubbled with delight, "Of course. Of course! Time, love, union, all those things drew you here as well. Such pleasure to give you this one gift."

And then the door to the TARDIS opened.

"How did you do that?" the Doctor said in alarm, "That's not possible."

"How the heart of your ship, the heart of time has longed for this! These words, they travel with you not as a warning but a promise, a link, your bond of love."

The Doctor watched the light coming from the door, the heart of the TARDIS opening for whatever this creature was.

"I'm afraid you've lost me," he confessed, "And that takes some doing, I must tell you."

The face in the light smiled, "This planet, Dalfow-B, don't you see it? Turn the words around Doctor. They are your words."

The Doctor froze, "Bad Wolf..."

The TARDIS light hummed and sang and it began to take shape in front of him. He would know that silhouette anywhere. It was impossible.

"She's dead," he whispered, "You can't bring her back."

The face in the light looked surprised, "You understand time, yet you do not understand death?"

The Doctor stared in disbelief as the light pulled from the TARDIS and beyond condensed and shifted focus until Rose came into view. Her back was to him. Her hair was blonde. She was young, just as he remembered her. Was she an echo? A copy? Was he breaking every law and creating every kind of paradox just standing here and letting this happen.

The TARDIS stopped and Rose looked down at herself in confusion then back to the face in the light.

"Where am I?" she asked and her voice was perfect, "Is this a dream? I'm...I'm young. I can feel it. How strange but..."

She looked right at the face in the light, "I remember my life. I remember my great grandchildren. I was old and tired and...did I die? What is this?"

The face in the light smiled gently, "You were brought here as you are, through time because you have been Bad Wolf and you always will be. You remember your life because it will help prepare you to live many lifetimes."

"Bad Wolf..." she breathed then she turned around quite suddenly and looked at him.

He was frozen. Unable to speak. Unable to move. Would she know him? Could she know him? Could she understand and forgive this new face?

"Doctor..." she breathed.

She took a step towards him.

"You know me," he heard himself say, voice thick was emotion.

She smiled just a little, "Know you anywhere wouldn't I?"

He felt those words like a hot shock through his body.

Then she really smiled, "Also, you're standing in front of the TARDIS."

Something released then. He couldn't hold onto it anymore. This union burnt it away forever.

"You are bound," the voice in the light told him, "She will live as long as you live. You are one, in your way. Perhaps you will choose to join us someday? You would be welcome."

The Doctor smiled at the face in the light, "Thank you," he said simply and it was enough.

Then Rose was coming closer and closer until she was in his arms, hands exploring, touching his face, testing out his hair between her fingers. She studied him and smiled, "I'm glad you've changed. I spent my life with you...as you were. Had a family, watched you get old with me. I don't know what it would be like seeing you young again, but not you, if that makes sense."

He nodded in relief.

And once they were in the TARDIS he brought his own hands to her face, "May I see? Our life together? Do you mind?"

She nodded and he gently touched her and read everything. It was incredible. She watched his eyes fill up, that mind vast like the stars reading each memory and savouring it. She had never known how much he really wanted that for himself until this moment. He had never thought to receive back this gift he had given himself. She leaned up and kissed him. He hadn't known if she would. If she would want to even. But she did and it felt incredible. He hadn't noticed she had two hearts. That would come later.

"I still missed you," she confided, then she smiled and there was age in her eyes, making them closer, that understanding, "I never thought we would have this."

Then as they left together, the TARDIS still humming with happiness, "Doctor, what was the planet we came from?"

"Dalfow-B," the Doctor informed her then gave a bark of incredulous laughter, "Three volcanoes and Rose - it really was B612!"

He laughed all to himself and Rose made a tutting noise and informed the TARDIS, "Somethings never change hey?"


End file.
